MaggieL

Thanks so much Tim! That was exactly the clear sort of answer I was hoping for. I'm excited to give that a try this weekend. Now, if only I can find a place to buy pretty bottles in Ottawa....

I've noticed a few other people mentioning that they'd been "following this thread for years." I, too, have been a long time reader, first time limoncello-maker. Thanks for being such an entertaining read so far! I am halfway through making my first batch of limoncello (hopefully to give away for Christmas) and I am feeling a bit confused. I am hoping that someone can help me plan my next move. I started with the recipe that KatieLoeb posted way back on page 1 (thank you for that, KatieLoeb!). Three weeks ago, I used my microplane to zest one dozen lemons + one lime into a 750 ml bottle of vodka. I've been checking my mason jars every few days, and they have a nice yellow colour to them, and smell like lemony-vodka. It is the next step that confuses me. I live in Canada, and was unable to find 100 proof vodka. I used a bottle of Wyborowa (40% -- which makes it 80 proof?) . I know that I still need to add the simple syrup--but I'm not sure if I need to add more (unsteeped) vodka (as Katie's recipe suggests). My fear is that the 80 proof vodka won't have gotten enough flavour out of the zest, and that the addition of extra vodka will dilute the lemon flavour too much. I've used the ratio's Tim provided last year (thank you, Tim), and figured out that if I want to bring my 80 proof steeped vodka closer to 60 proof limoncello, I'd just add 187 ml of simple syrup to my 750 of vodka. I know a lot of this will be trial and error, and that I'll just have to keep tasting as I go until I find a result that I like-- but I am hoping that someone might be able to steer me in the right direction. My questions: If anyone has made limoncello with 80 proof vodka before, would you mind sharing your recipe? Did you add extra (unsteeped) 80 proof vodka at the end? Did you use a simple syrup that was 1:1 or 2:1 sugar:water? In the LA Times article, the recipe suggests that you should "let the flavours marry" for a week before using. Is this step actually very important? --- I remember sipping limoncello in Italy about five years ago, and I absolutely loved it. I remember a liqueur that was sweet and smooth, with a strong taste of bright, sour lemon. I'm hoping to produce something similar.

Thanks for all of your suggestions. cdh, I think you are entirely right about the potential pulp problem. It is a wee little pump! As it turned out, we had to use the decanter as a purely decorative piece at the party. I gave the whole thing a good cleaning, and was dismayed to find that I couldn't get the pump to actually work. I'm hoping that it's just clogged, but the actual pumping mechanism doesn't seem to make much sense. I think it might be missing a piece. Now to find a bowling ball decanter repair-person... Regardless, I did feel quite inspired by both the decanter and this thread so I stayed in the realm of cocktails and made whiskey sours and mojitos for the group. They turned out great! The bride-to-be was thoroughly impressed. Thanks again, all!

I also love Long Island Iced Teas--it was one of the first drinks that I ever had (such a deceptively innocent name!). But I think I like the idea of using the shot glasses more for output than for input. Thanks for Harvey Wallbanger suggestion KatieLoeb. It seems right to put a retro drink in the retro decanter. But here is where I get confused: how do you think I should go about serving the H.W's from this fancy carousel? I have two strategies in mind. Strategy 1: Mix the OJ, Vodka, and Galliano in the decanter. Provide tall glasses and ice. Allow my guests to dispense their own shots from the dispenser, and then pour these over the ice. Downside: since H.W. is a rather long drink (I think?), I'm not sure how many I could fit in the decanter before needing to re-fuel. Upside: really simple for my guests. Strategy 2: Mix Vodka and Galliano in the decanter. Provide tall glasses, ice, and OJ. Allow my guests to dispense their own alcohol, and then pour this and OJ over ice. Upside: the decanter would last longer. Downside: more work for the guests. I think that Strategy 2 is perhaps how the decanter is meant to be used. The shot glasses then would be for pouring, and not to be drank from directly. It a confusing set-up. I'd find it much more logical for cocktail making if either: - the accompanying glasses were larger (each person would then pour their drink from the spout into their own glass, and be done), or - there was just one shot glass (each person would just use this one glass to pour the alcohol-of-choice into their cocktail glass). I'd like to think that I can find a way to incorporate the bar tool into making cocktails, but the set-up does seem to work best with shot-pouring/drinking. Am I missing something? Are there any other good retro drinks that would work with Strategy 2--e.g. that involve a few mixed alcohols plus a mixer? Or even any drinks that would be just straight mixed alcohol on the rocks? [Thanks, too, KatieLoeb for your enthusiasm about my find. I was pretty happy. We also bought the happy couple a 100-year old copper Turkish coffee set from the same store. It was a great day for antiquing.]

Usually, I enjoy a good challenge in the kitchen. However, when it comes to cocktails, I'm at a bit of a loss. I tend to gravitate towards beer and wine myself. I am hoping that someone here can help steer me in the right direction. I am trying to find some ideas, inspirations or (best of all) recipes for a party that I am throwing tonight. (I am asking very last-minute, and I don't expect too many replies in time for the party--but your answers will come in handy for me later anyway, as you'll soon see.) I am throwing a bachelorette party for a close friend of mine. Her whole wedding is vintage themed (both the bride and groom have a wicked rockabilly sort of style), so we're steering the bachelorette party in that same direction. I found a vintage 1950s/60s era cocktail decanter, and this will be our present to the bride. We are hoping to introduce her to her present by actually using it at the party. It is fantastically kitschy: It is a decanter/shot-glass set that is shaped like a bowling ball, with a pump on top, a small spout, and space to fit some ice around the outside of the decanter. The one we found resembles the above photo in design, but is actually made of chrome (more like this one). It's amazing. But it confuses me. What does one do with such a thing? Is it really just used for pouring shots? Or is there a way to incorporate this decanter into making longer, more dignified drinks? If it is just for shots, I'll mix up some sort of shot concoction (any good recipes? I'm just planning on googling for some) and then make a big picture of something like whiskey sours or mojitos. (I'd also love any good recipes for making big-batch mixed cocktails for 6-10 people). Alternatively, I was thinking we could mix up our liquor base in the decanter, measure this out in the shot glasses, pour this into proper glasses and top off with club soda/tonic/ice/simple syrup/etc. Any recipes that would be conducive to this would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, in advance. It'd be great to give my friend some usage tips along with the gift.

What a timely thread! I recently discovered the joys of candying flowers, and have been looking for places to gush about the experience. I strongly encourage everyone to try it at least once--it's a crafting project that combines the rush of foraging for wild edibles with the joy of making something beautiful. And so easy! (if a wee bit time consuming). I read the instructions from a few sites (here, here, and here) and then improvised by combining advice from the different authors. I had hoped to purchase flowers from a flower shop, but couldn't find one that carried pesticide-free flowers. I ended up foraging for violets and lilacs in wild places instead, which turned out to be far more fun. I rinsed the flowers by floating them in still water, and then laid them to dry for a few hours on some paper towels. I found pasteurized egg whites in a small carton at my grocery store (Naturegg--Simply Egg Whites), and diluted some of these with a spoonful or two of water. I whisked this mixture together gently, until I had a bit of loose foam on the surface. The foam dissipated as I worked on the flowers, and so every once in a while, I'd gently whisk the whites again. I used a small paint brush to apply the egg white mixture. Over time, I discovered that I could do several flowers at a time: I brushed egg whites onto the top side of the flower, and then gently rested the flowers (coated side down) on some waxed paper. Once I had several flowers lined up like this, I brushed the undersides of their petals with the egg whites. This double-brushing seemed to help me keep the delicate petals of the violets separate from one another. I sprinkled the undersides with superfine sugar (using my fingers), and then flipped them over to sprinkle them on their tops as well. Following advice from somewhere on the internet, I dried the flowers on a wire rack, covered in waxed paper, covered in a layer of superfine sugar (the poster had suggested that the sugar-layer would support the heavy petals, and help the flowers dry in a nice shape). Next time, I think that I will forgo the layer of sugar--it just seemed to stick to the flowers, and made them heavier and taste too sugary. I candied about 40-60 flowers, and the whole process (minus the initial rinsing/drying of the flowers) took me about 1-2 hours. I found it peaceful and meditative. I liked the look of the lilac flowers a lot, but preferred the taste of the violets (much more subtle). Some pictures from my food-crafting adventure: This is a picture of the flowers, after they'd dried for 48 hours. This is a close-up of the flowers on a cupcake. The large flower with the green centre is a violet, and the top two on the right are lilac blossoms. More flowers on cupcakes. And again, more flowers on cupcakes. I like this last photo because I think it nicely captures the full effect--the way the bit of colour in the flowers added so much elegance to the cupcakes*. [The cupcakes, in case you are interested, are from the recipe featured in this blog post, but filled with the mango curd from Smitten Kitchen. They were amazing, albeit somewhat rich.]

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm feeling quite good about giving away my in-process vanilla. I bought some dark blue bottles, and I think it'll mature quite nicely in there. And thank you, Catherine Iino, for the Valentine's day suggestion. That is very charming.

rubyred, I sadly have no advice to give you because I, too, am entirely new to this cooking adventure. In fact, I actually have some questions of my own. I decided to embark on this vanilla journey last spring, but it took me until this month to order the beans. I've now been steeping my vanilla since Nov. 4th. I followed the proportions listed earlier in this thread (I believe it was 6-ish beans per cup of liquid), and sealed the vanilla into three mason jars filled with decent vodka. I've been shaking the vanilla almost every day. Here is what I'm wondering: I realize this vanilla will likely not be ready for Christmas, as I'd planned. Would it be terribly uncouth of me to package up the vanilla regardless--filling small decorative bottles with the brew + a few whole beans--and pass them out to my nearest and dearest with the caveat: "You might want to wait a few months...." Ideally, I am hoping that the vanilla will be quasi-useable by Christmas, as is, but will simply better with age. 1) Anything I can do to speed the process (sadly, no Everclear to be found in my neck of the woods)? 2) Is there any risk of giving away vanilla with beans still in it (I know they'll stop releasing oils after a certain point--but might they also start to rot/have unpleasant chemical effects)? 3) Why-oh-why am I such a procrastinator......?

I only started eating brussels sprouts this year myself. Unlike many people, I hadn't had any bad experiences with them when I was young--I just hadn't ever tried one before. I didn't know what to do with them. Then I saw Dave Lieberman work some brussels sprout magic on the Food Network. I grabbed a handful of the mini cabbages, tried out the recipe, and have been hooked ever since. I keep meaning to try other recipes with the sprouts, but every time my fork slides through a melty, buttery slow-cooked brussels sprout, my good intentions disappear entirely--on my last bite of sprout, I'm already scheduling our next slow-cooking date. When I do venture into new brussels sprouts territory, I imagine that I'll start with one of Orangette's two brussels sprouts recipes, found here and here.

A bit belatedly, but just to chime in--like many of you, I found the movie quite charming. I saw Ratatouille with my partner, a few days before his birthday, and we both really enjoyed it. When his birthday rolled around, I decided to make the central dish to surprise him. I know there have been a few blog links in this thread, but I hope you don't mind if I share my own pictures from the experience. (Thank you to Busboy, for the recipe, and to plk for that picture you posted -- I made heavy use of both of these for guidance). I really enjoyed getting to use my mandolin to cut up all of the vegetables: My spatial reasoning is sometimes a bit off--it took me a few tries to get the vegetable spiral started: Thankfully, the vegetables kind of set their own course and it became fairly easy to fill the pan: As the vegetables cooked down, my apartment started to smell fantastic (it didn't hurt that I was able to use some fresh lemon-thyme from my rooftop garden): I have a picture of the plated dish, but it looks both blurry and drippy--not really the stuff of dreams (perhaps I'll post it on the un-Dinner thread later). Nevertheless, it was absolutely delicious and a fun summer project. My partner was very appreciative.

I've been reading through this thread with interest. I am a newly lapsed vegetarian, and lately I've been dreaming about pork. I had a bite* of some deliciously tender and melty pork belly when I was visiting Washington D.C. last year, and have been craving it ever since. The other day, I found a few very small packages of pork in the fridge at my grocery store. Not only did they seem like the perfect pieces of starter meat--being tiny and manageable--but they also were tantalizingly labelled "Cured Pork Bellies." I bought one. Now I need help. First, some pictures. Then, some questions. Pictures: Questions: What exactly can I do with this meat? Is it just like a big block of uncut bacon? What is the difference between these cured/salted pork bellies (and why is that plural?) and bacon or pancetta? Ideally, I'd like to chop this up relatively small, and use it to flavour some of my fall soups. Would that be a good purpose to this? There seems to be no skin on this meat, and it is quite fatty, so I don't think it is suited for any of the tasty-sounding applications listed in this thread. Also--the label says "Best Before Dec. 24th." Can I open it, use half now and store the rest for a few weeks? Or is that "best before" promise only valid if the package stays unopened? Finally, if I can store it, how would I do that? (wrap in saran?) Thanks, in advance, for any advice you can give. *My vegetarianism was never a matter of absolutes.

Yes, I can now see why you had that reaction. At the same time, gasp or no gasp, I think that Milagai's point is quite insightful. In the Pig thread, JohnL's post ( # 35) seems to suggest that given our need for lots of pig, we must simply accept some of the frightening consequences of large-scale pig farming. Although some commenters debate with JohnL, nobody does mention the possibility of simply "eating less pig". Again, yes--I think you are right that these factors (many dietery limits, the vegan lifestyle being only feasible for small groups of people) explain, in part, the tendency towards non-gourmet vegan food. But I still stand by my argument that these factors do not, in any way, mean that gourmet vegan food is impossible--and won't, even, someday become more common.

I know many meat-eaters who understand the importance of eating less meat--for both environmental and health reasons. I also know many vegetarians who question their consumption of soy, and would welcome (or, at the very least, be receptive to) the suggestion to "eat less soy," provided that it was delivered along with a clear and convincing explanation as to why. You seem to be setting up an overly simplistic binary: Vegetarians vs. Meat-Eaters, where: Vegetarians = a homogenous group of people with the same desires, interests, needs, motivations, etc. Meat-Eaters = a homogenous group of... etc. In reality, these groups are made up of widely different people, with wildly differing reasons/desires/motivations for eating what they do. By describing these groups in this way, I hope I've illustrated why writing off "eating less pig" as "a vegetarian's agenda" is a bit too much of a knee-jerk reaction. Instead of being so quick to categorize (and consequently reject) that advice, it might be worth trying to understand why such advice might be given in the first place. To bring this back on topic: I think many of the disagreements in this thread stem from the dead-ends that such essentialist thinking can create. Of course there can be delicious vegan cuisine. There is nothing essentially non-delicious about veganism. That being said, vegan cooks and restaurants obviously face some fairly significant obstacles. Consequently, the more interesting questions to ask might be "Why do we not see more fine-dining vegan restaurants?", "Why do many vegan restaurants tend to produce blander food than non-vegan restaurants?", and so forth. My favourite commenters in this thread have ignored the essentialist problem, and have answered these questions instead, suggesting an absence of formal vegan cooking schools, a lack of opportunities to test recipes on a large audience, etc., as possible reasons.

In a funny coincidence, I was just directed to a 'gourmet vegan' blog today: The author writes enthusiastic, food-loving/worshipping/admiring things like: She takes beautiful food pictures. She experiments with food. She critically and carefully reviews different vegan restaurants, and vegan-themed meals (cf. the vegan afternoon tea in chicago). She also reflects on some of the stereotypes surrounding veganism, noting that "some people who are not vegetarian or vegan tend to think about eating veg in terms of deprivation." Disagreeing with this stereotype, she writes: As this blog (and the books plk recommended) suggest, it is definitely possible (and even, dare I say, likely) that vegans can feel deeply passionate about food, and can make delicious meals which could rival any cuisine. In response to the original poster's, BeefCheeks', question: Can a vegan establishment be GREAT by non-vegan standards?--I answer a resounding "yes!" Will this be the case every time? Of course not. But to entirely deny the possibility of good vegan food based on one's encounters with a few (or even many) non-foodie vegans does not seem to do veganism, in general, much justice. And, finally, slkinsey, you wrote: "I think it's somewhat telling that one is unlikely to hear a non-vegan talk up the delicious food all his vegan friends eat" And yet, within this very thread, many self-confessed non-vegans (plk, bshapiro, and myeslf, to name a few) have spoken in positive, celebratory tones about vegan food.

Thanks for all the advice. And thank you, dolseni, for graciously sharing your thread. RyuShiHan: I liked your suggestion of searing the salmon, but my previous efforts to cook salmon that way have ended in disaster. I'm not sure if its my pan, my oven, the salmon (which I can only get frozen, at the grocery stores close to my home), or what, but my 'nice crispy salmon skin' has always turned out kind of mushy and unpleasant. That is a skill I definitely intend to work on in the future. saucée: Thank you for all of your suggestions--they definitely helped make the meal very special. I followed your advice, and cooked the fish in little parchment pouches with a mix of: carrots, tomatoes, green onions, garlic, lemon thyme, lemon, salt, pepper, and white wine. The fillets turned out deliciously--and it was much easier than the other method. My only problem: when I opened the packets, the fillets had quite a bit of white matter on their surface--melted fat? I've seen this before, but never to such degrees. Do you know what this happened? I think it might be because I overcooked them. I was in a bit of a cooking daze, and left them in for a minute longer than I should have. As for the rice, I ended up making 'yellow rice' from a Moosewood cookbook: I toasted the rice in a bit of oil, with some turmeric, then steamed it in water. At the very end, I tossed in some chopped parsley. It was very simple, but quite tasty. If I made it again, I would substitute some stock for the water. The ratatouille was my favourite dish. I kind of failed at plating it, but it was really fun to prepare and looked absolutely stunning in the skillet. I'm currently trying to upload pictures to the Ratatouille thread. Finally, I also made a cake for dessert: a deliciously moist chocolate cake, from the final page of this thread. --- All in all, I think the meal was a great success. My guest was thrilled, I had a great day of cooking and experimenting, and I learned a whole new way of preparing salmon. Thanks again for everyone's help.